Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) released the following statement this afternoon:

"Today's Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report outlining the terrible results if President Trump eliminates cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) demonstrates why Congress needs to take up and pass the Problem Solvers Caucus healthcare plan as soon as possible. Two weeks ago, the caucus released a plan negotiated and endorsed by the bipartisan group of 43 House members that will provide relief to individuals, families, and small businesses by implementing, among other things, a guarantee that CSRs will be paid in 2018.

"The nonpartisan CBO's comprehensive analysis states that if CSR payments are not soon guaranteed for 2018, premiums for benchmark plans will go up an additional 20% next year and 25% in 2020. That's on top of other increases caused by rising healthcare costs. In addition, the net federal deficit would rise by $194 billion over ten years because people would be given increased tax subsidies to purchase these more expensive plans.

"CSR payments are required under the ACA to help low- to moderate-income individuals pay for out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, but a flaw in the law did not directly fund them. As a result, the President has the ability to stop the payments unilaterally. Americans who rely on the ACA for insurance should not be penalized by the law's defect. That is why the Problem Solvers' plan commits Congress to funding the CSRs.

"With premiums for 2018 scheduled to be locked in in early September, the time to act is now. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together, support the commonsense solutions in the Problem Solvers' plan, and ensure that hard-working American families have better access to affordable healthcare."

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